Many commercial establishments provide their customers or patrons the opportunity to open an informal service or credit account. For customers or patrons of establishments, such as restaurants, bars, taverns, pubs, or other providers of goods and/or services, these informal and often temporary accounts are commonly known as a tab. Many patrons do not want to take the time to pay for each item or beverage, when they intend to purchase more than one.
To open a tab, the patron will provide the establishment with a payment card as collateral or as a means for payment. Often times the bartender or server will maintain a disorganized collection of payment cards. It is often difficult to locate a particular card in dimly light establishments. In addition, the collection of payment cards is often left unattended and unsecured. Therefore, devices and methods are needed to securely store and retrieve the payment cards in an orderly manner.